Adolescent ; Anal Canal ; physiopathology ; Child ; Constipation ; physiopathology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Rectum ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the levels and roles of serum growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

METHODSSerum GH and PRL levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 54 neonates with HIE (20 mild, 19 moderate and 15 severe HIE) at the acute and convalescence stages. Twenty normal neonates were used as controls.

RESULTSSerum GH levels were significantly lower, but PRL levels were significantly higher in moderate and severe HIE neonates at the acute stage compared with those of controls and mild HIE neonates (P < 0.01). There were noticeable differences in serum levels of GH and PRL between the moderate and severe HIE cases (P < 0.01). During the convalescence stage, serum GH levels increased and PRL levels decreased in moderate and severe HIE neonates compared with those at the acute stage (P < 0.01); serum GH and PRL levels in each sub-group of HIE restored to the levels of controls. There was a closely negative correlation between GH and PRL levels at the acute stage of HIE (r = -0.8759, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSGH and PRL might be involved in the pathophysiological process of HIE. The levels of GH and PRL closely relate to the severity of HIE at the acute stage.

Female ; Human Growth Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; blood ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Prolactin ; blood

AIMPoly (methoxypolyethyleneglycol cyanoacrylate-co-hexadecyl cyanoacrylate) (PEG-PHDCA) and PHDCA niosomes were prepared and the influence of the PEG chain length on the niosomes physicochemical characteristics, complement consumption and phagocytic uptake were studied.

METHODSThe physicochemical parameters of PEG-PHDCA niosomes were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta aqueous layer thickness. The relationship between physicochemical characteristics and in vitro complement consumption and phagocytic uptake was further illustrated.

RESULTSExperimental results showed that PEG10,000-PHDCA had most loose structure and least PEG surface density among three groups. Configuration simulation through fixed aqueous layer thickness confirmed that PEG folding and less flexibility of the PEG chains of PEG10,000-PHDCA niosomes were accountable for its poor stealth effects. Compared with PEG2,000-PHDCA, PEG5,000-PHDCA showed a thicker fixed aqueous layer (FALT) of 4.20 nm, less negative zeta potential of -10.03 mV, and enhanced PEG surface density of 0.49 PEG x nm(-2), leading to the best effects of reduction of complement consumption and phagocytic uptake.

CONCLUSIONExcessive chain length of PEG was not necessary for stealth effects of PEG-PHDCA niosomes. PEG5,000-PHDCA niosomes had best effects on evading complement consumption and subsequent phagocytic uptake.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Camptothecin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Complement System Proteins ; metabolism ; Cyanoacrylates ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; Macrophages ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Particle Size ; Phagocytosis ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Surface Properties

Child ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome

This study was aimed to overexpress gene hβc in NB4 cells via the method of lentivirus-mediated gene transfer, to observe the differentiation behaviour change of hβc over-expressing NB4 cells treated with IL-3 or GM-CSF, to explore the relationship between hβc gene and the differentiation behaviour of NB4 cells. The targeted hβc gene was amplified by PCR from the cloned vector carrying ORF of hβc. The PCR product containing PmeI and BstBI site introduced by primer was digested, and then cloned into lentivirus vector pRRLSIN.cPPT.PGK/IRES/GFP.WPRE to construct a lentiviral vector carrying hβc, named pLV-hβc. And the pLV-hβc plasmid was confirmed by restriction and sequencing. The recombinant lentivirus was produced by co-transfecting three plasmids into 293T packing cells. After transfection, the lentiviral supernatant was collected to transfect NB4 cells. GFP expression was examined by fluorescent microscope and the expression of hβc gene was detected by Western blot. Then, the NB4 cells over-expressing hβc were treated with IL-3 (10 ng/ml), GM-CSF (10 ng/ml), ATRA (1 µmol/L) respectively, and the CD11b expression, morphology and differentiation behaviour changes of every groups were observed by flow cytometry and microscopy, while NB4 cells transfected with blank lentivirus (NB4-blank cells) were used as controls. The results showed that the recombinant lentivirus vector carrying hβc gene could efficiently transfect NB4 cells and made NB4 cells to stably over-express hβc gene. The expression of CD11b was up-regulated in NB4-hβc cells treated with of IL-3 or GM-CSF, but it was not as obvious as the effect of ATRA, and no morphological change was observed in NB4 hβc cells treated with the IL-3 or GM-CSF. It is concluded that IL-3 or GM-CSF can induce NB4 cells over-expressing hβc to differentiate to neutrophils, but can not make them fully matured.
Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line ; Cytokine Receptor Common beta Subunit ; genetics ; Flow Cytometry ; Genetic Vectors ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; biosynthesis ; Humans ; Interleukin-3 ; biosynthesis ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Transfection

OBJECTIVEThe abnormality of hemopoietic inductive microenvironment (HIM) is involved in the pathophysiology of aplastic anemia (AA). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are main source of bone marrow stromal cells which constitute the bone marrow HIM. Thus, the bone marrow failure in AA may be related to the function of MSC. The aim of the study was to investigate the hematopoiesis support function of MSC in children with AA in vitro.

METHODSBone marrow samples were collected from 24 children with AA at diagnosis and 19 children with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), infectious mononucleosis or lymphadenitis (controls). MSCs from bone marrow samples were isolated, cultured and expanded. Morphology, proliferation activity and colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) were measured. The ability of bone marrow MSC to adhere hemopoietic cells was assayed by MTT. The concentration of stem cell factor (SCF) released from MSC was tested using ELISA. Mononuclear cells (MNC) of bone marrow were plated onto a feeder layer formed by MSC. Cells count and BFU-E, CFU-GM, CFU-GMME productions were measured.

RESULTSThe first and third passage time of MSC in children with AA was longer than that in the controls. The number of CFU-F in children with AA (15.70+/-5.78) was less than that in the controls (21.73+/-5.74) (P<0.05). The concentration of SCF in MSC supernatants in children with AA (30.69+/-16.82 pg/mL) was significantly lower than the controls (50.74+/-14.83 pg/mL) (P<0.01). The total MNC count and the number of BFU-E, CFU-GM and CFU-GMME colonies in the support of MSC in children with AA were significantly lower than those in the controls (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe hematopoiesis support function of MSC was significantly reduced in children with AA in vitro. The decreased hematopoiesis support function of MSC may be related its decreased proliferation capacity and SCF release activity.

Adolescent ; Anemia, Aplastic ; physiopathology ; Cell Adhesion ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hematopoiesis ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; physiology ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology ; Stem Cell Factor ; physiology

Mr. LIU Zhang-jie, one of the disciples of CHENG Dan-an who is considered as the initiator of the Chengjiang acupuncture school, is a famous acupuncturist in Fujian Province. With the collection and arrangement of Mr. LIU's literatures, medical records, books and interview of his student. ZHANG Yong-shu, Mr. LIU's academic characteristics are analyzed and summarized in this paper, mainly including being focused on finger power and manipulating without pain; being good at direct moxibustion to elevate yang-qi and drive out evil spirits; highlighting meridian syndrome differentiation and combined use of the four diagnostic methods; each disease has its own pathogeny, eliminating pathogen is the key; valuing the curative effect with flexible apply of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. In a word, Mr. LIU, who inherited the school's scholarism and developed it into next level, is one of Chengjiang acupuncture school's representative figures.
Acupuncture ; education ; history ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; methods ; China ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; history ; Schools ; history

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Infant ; Lactulose ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Male

OBJECTIVEWiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a primary immunodeficiency diseases. The patients with classical WAS have poor prognosis. The hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the most effective method to cure WAS at present. In this report, a patient with WAS was cured with HLA identical sibling bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

METHODSWiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) was detected using flow cytometry and WASP were analyzed for the diagnosis. The bone marrow was collected from the elder sister who was the HLA identical sibling donor. A total of 4.38x10(8)/kg mononuclear cell (MNC) and 3.78x10(6)/kg CD34+ cells were collected and transfused into the patient after the conditioning regimen with busulfan/cyclophosphamide. Cyclosporine only was used for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. WASP and short tandem repeats (STR) were detected as the evidence of engraftment.

RESULTSThe diagnosis was WAS: WASP (-IVS9+2T>C, WASP-negative). The patient received busulfan/cyclophosphamide 9 days before the transplantation. WBC decreased to 0.1x10(9)/L in d+4; The absolute number of neutrophils (ANC) was 0.8x10(9)/L in d+13, and exceeded 1.0x10(9)/L later on. From d(-9)-d+14 the patient was dependent on platelet transfusion. From d+15 the patient's PLT>50x10(9)/L and returned to normal after d+30. In d+9-d+10 mild GVHD (I degree) occurred but subsided after the steroid treatment. From d+50, WASP was detected positive and STR showed full donor DNA chimera. Follow-up for 510 d post-transplant, the patient suffered only from mild cold twice, no eczema, no bleeding occurred. The PLT is normal and no chronic GVHD occurred. The levels of IgG, IgM and IgA of the patient were approximately normal.

CONCLUSIONThe HLA-identical sibling's BMT seems to be the periorit treatment of choice for the WAS patient.

Child, Preschool ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Treatment Outcome ; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome ; surgery

BACKGROUNDThe conventional approaches to diabetes screening are potentially limited by poor compliance and laboratory demand. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and postprandial urine glucose (PUG) in screening for diabetes in Chinese high-risk population.

METHODSNine hundred and nine subjects with high-risk factors of diabetes underwent oral glucose tolerance test after an overnight fast. FPG, hemoglobin A1c, 2-h plasma glucose (2 h-PG), and 2 h-PUG were evaluated. Diabetes and prediabetes were defined by the American Diabetes Association criteria. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 2 h-PUG, and the optimal cut-off determined to provide the largest Youden index. Spearman correlation was used for relationship analysis.

RESULTSAmong 909 subjects, 33.4% (304/909) of subjects had prediabetes, and 17.2% (156/909) had diabetes. The 2 h-PUG was positively related to FPG and 2 h-PG (r = 0.428 and 0.551, respectively, both P < 0.001). For estimation of 2 h-PG ≥ 7.8 mmol/L and 2 h-PG ≥ 11.1 mmol/L using 2 h-PUG, the area under the ROC curve were 0.772 (95% confidence interval [CI ]: 0.738-0.806) and 0.885 (95% CI: 0.850-0.921), respectively. The corresponding optimal cut-offs for 2 h-PUG were 5.6 mmol/L and 7.5 mmol/L, respectively. Compared with FPG alone, FPG combined with 2 h-PUG had a higher sensitivity for detecting glucose abnormalities (84.1% vs. 73.7%, P < 0.001) and diabetes (82.7% vs. 48.1%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONFPG combined with 2 h-PUG substantially improves the sensitivity in detecting prediabetes and diabetes relative to FPG alone, and may represent an efficient layperson-oriented diabetes screening method.

Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus ; blood ; diagnosis ; urine ; Fasting ; blood ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Postprandial Period ; physiology